@BobLongRickTangle Nintendo's MO is to not only iterate between generations of hardware but also iterate during each generation of hardware. Been that way since the Gameboy. "Hey Nintendo fan, upgrade from a Game Boy to a Game Boy Lite." "Hey Nintendo fan, upgrade from a Game Boy Lite to a Game Boy Color."
"Hey Nintendo fan, upgrade from a Switch V1 to a Switch V2." "Hey Nintendo fan, upgrade from a Switch V2 to a Switch OLED." "Hey Nintendo fan, upgrade from a Switch OLED to a Switch 2."
The days of Nintendo needing a gimmick to sell their platform died with Satoru Iwata, may he rest in peace.
Switch Physical Collection - 1,555 games (as of March 31st, 2026)
Switch 2 Physical Collection - 4 games (as of December 8th, 2025)
@BobLongRickTangle Nintendo's MO is to not only iterate between generations of hardware but also iterate during each generation of hardware. Been that way since the Gameboy. "Hey Nintendo fan, upgrade from a Game Boy to a Game Boy Lite." "Hey Nintendo fan, upgrade from a Game Boy Lite to a Game Boy Color."
What you're describing here is an iteration of a platform. What we're talking about is a successor platform.
@Magician why not just release a Switch Pro then? They have clearly stated this is a successor console and as I pointed out in an earlier post, this comes with the expectation that it will have games developed exclusively for the system that don't work on previous generation systems, and that the audience starts again from zero. There's so much more risk involved when they could do the exact same thing as you are suggesting with a Pro model whilst removing all of the risk.
The Switch as it is is compelling. It's a great product. But its greatest weakness against its competitors is its lack of power. A more capable version of the Switch closes that gap. A more capable version of the Switch means that people already invested in the Switch are more likely to upgrade to the Switch 2 than to move on to PC, PS5, Steam Deck. A more capable version of the Switch existing on the market means that someone interested in buying into a platform is more likely to pick Nintendo than they otherwise would have
The problem is that it's not just the PC, PS5, and Steam Deck. Multiple companies are getting in on the hybrid console market. Microsoft and Sony are considering handhelds. And you can bet that Valve is going to be looking to make a more powerful Steam Deck. And they might be narrowing that gap but the gap still exists and competitors' hybrids are more likely to completely close it. So what's Nintendo going to do then? They'll have kept the power lower for that hybrid form factor and have nothing to show for it. That's what you need a gimmick/innovation for. Nintendo needs to stay a step ahead of competitors, they're always copying Nintendo's homework and doing it with even more powerful hardware. The Switch is going to lose its niche of being the go-to hybrid console soon, that's why the Switch 2 needs something extra.
@BobLongRickTangle Didn't you get the memo? The Switch Pro was planned, developed, and then cancelled.
Look...I'll save you a long retort. Point is Nintendo President Furukawa is (admittedly perhaps not 100% translation-accurate) on record saying that the Switch 2 is just more of the same.
Switch Physical Collection - 1,555 games (as of March 31st, 2026)
Switch 2 Physical Collection - 4 games (as of December 8th, 2025)
It's not going to be just a more powerful Switch. The design will have some improvements too. Maybe analogue triggers, or an extra button or two, or as mentioned in a rumour, microphone, or maybe just a key chain notch for charms.
I never drive faster than I can see. Besides, it's all in the reflexes.
@Bolt_Strike what fantasy world is this coming from?
This is like people actually thinking a switch pro was ever in development.
With what hardware? With Nvidia we had lapsu$ steal nvidias internal roadmap, we knew there was no maxwell or even pascall product that could be a base for a switch pro.
Amd showed us their roadmap, and isn't updating any apu past the strix/kraken 'rdna3+' until at least 2027/8, and none of those apu's that can be used in a portable pc format are going to come with a render config that can make a 12 sm ampere obsolete, and they'll be running the one size fits all pc versions of the games, not a customized console version.
No wonder nintendos felt like they can take their time.
@BobLongRickTangle Didn't you get the memo? The Switch Pro was planned, developed, and then cancelled.
Ok more speculation and assumptions I see. Counter-speculation: the much rumoured Switch Pro was always the Switch OLED that insiders assumed would have more power, but was never intended to have a more powerful chip as Nintendo didn't think it was worthwhile/helpful to their strategy. I have no evidence to back-up this claim but then neither do you, so stalemate, I guess?
Then we have a quote from Furukawa that is (likely purposely) incredibly vague (the Japanese are masters of implicit communication) - all this really tells us is that the successor system will be a hybrid console, everything else is pure speculation.
While we're on the topic of official quotes from Furukawa on Nintendo's next-gen hardware, how about this one from February this year: "In this environment, there’s an increasing need, more than ever before, to continue offering unique propositions to become a brand that customers choose."
or how about this one from Shinya Takahashi (Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer) in Nov last year: “Recently, the hardware and software development teams have been holding discussions as a single unit, starting in the early stages of hardware development” and then went on to say how this allows them to “develop hardware that enable new ideas in software”
or the ones from Doug Bowser stating in March 2023 that the aim for the next console is to “surprise & delight” and will “introduce new unique ways of playing”:
Nintendo President Furukawa is (admittedly perhaps not 100% translation-accurate) on record saying that the Switch 2 is just more of the same.
Why do I see everyone just accepting this tweet as proof of anything? Who is this David Gibson and where is the actual official transcript of what Furukawa said? This is just hearsay.
Nintendo does not need more power to grow its customer base. Realistically, Switch has pretty much hit a ceiling. Nintendo should more be focusing on retaining their core audience through the likes of Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Pokemon and Zelda, and affordable hardware. The growth can only realistically come from other sources e.g. movies, theme parks etc.
Making the next hardware disproportionately more powerful to try and compete with Steam et al will also make it more expensive and seriously risk adoption from some of the core audience.
You guys had me at blood and semen.
What better way to celebrate than firing something out of the pipe?
The last time a Nintendo console was just a power upgrade was the SNES. I see absolutely 0 reason they would start to change how they approach console creation now. I'm fully expecting the next console to have something that makes it stand out from a marketing standpoint, even if it's a smaller change.
Nintendo also almost always markets the next console as a successor whether it's like the Wii U and is similar to the last or more like the Gamecube which is very different. I don't think they have really said anything that we should read too far into since Nintendo never really gives us info before an official reveal and just says what will sound good in headlines, which is what they should do.
I can see the arguement that Nintendo repurpose 'unsuccessful hardware.' Wii was 2 gamecubes celotaped together is the joke. But the DS was genius. The Switch was genius. They don't have to repurpose it. But their success (and failure) comes software that can't be played on other systems (which is prevailent in the design of their consoles and the over protective legal team.) so I would put money on it being a Switch with something extra. The power bump (and it will be a bump!) won't be the only thing they are touting. Switch next model is precisely that. I.e we should be asking what is next for Switch.
I never drive faster than I can see. Besides, it's all in the reflexes.
@gcunit More power = contemporary 3rd party games.
It's no coincidence the switch having the best contemporary multiplatform release track record for.... decades ends up also being one of the best selling systems for nintendo.
People want to continue and enhance the same switch experience with more than just "only nintendo games" they had 5 years ago that's all but dried up now.
That's exactly what switch 2 delivers. Everything you loved about the switch, but all the games you missed out on with switch 1 and even more contemporary multiplat games, that hold up even better.
The nintendo games only strategy gets you wii u and GameCube results.
You all can be talking until you turns blue or red about power.
But the facts remains intact forever that...
Playstation sold almost 3x most than N64 despite were massively inferior to N64 in specs.
PS2 sold 3x more than GameCube and Xbox together despite being massively underpowered.
Wii sold better than PS3 and Xbox 360 despite of that it was like Magnavox Odyssey vs NES as comparison.
Switch 141.5m in just 7 years and 2 months (it took PS2 11 years to sell 150m) despite being astronomically dwarfed by PS4, PS4 Pro, Xbox One, Xbox Series blah, PS5, Xbox Series blahblah...
Games sells, not the specs. I think that PS4 is the only time which the most powerful console of that generation won. But it's difficult to placing Switch in which console generation it belongs to... So PS4 may lost to Switch or not...
My personal perspective is that Furukawa was hired at Nintendo as a numbers-man. I assume the numbers tell Furukawa that the Switch is a winning formula that should continue, not moved away from. Nintendo have carved out their niche. The best secondary device that core gamers wouldn't mind owning, regardless of their brand / platform loyalty.
To deviate from the golden goose seems folly to me.
Switch Physical Collection - 1,555 games (as of March 31st, 2026)
Switch 2 Physical Collection - 4 games (as of December 8th, 2025)
@Keman Tbh, I'm happy with Switch, Steam Deck, Rog Ally et al being the first generation of hybrid. Let home consoles have their generations. And once again, Sony and Microsoft weren't there...
@Fullstack The next hardware will naturally be more powerful than the current hardware. Obviously. My point was that trying to disproportionately close the power gap with PS5 etc will increase the price beyond what the core Nintendo audience is happy paying isn't wise.
You guys had me at blood and semen.
What better way to celebrate than firing something out of the pipe?
Nintendo's tried to sell hardware based on gimmicks that impact gameplay 4 times. They were successful only twice, with DS and Wii. That was largely because of them selling to a fickle audience of non-gamers that had never touched a video game system in their lives, and the majority of which haven't touched one since.
They failed with 3DS and Wii U. The 3D effect was quickly brushed aside as most didn't use it and it was arguably more of a novelty visual gimmick than something that dramatically impacts gameplay. The system became a success selling as a more powerful, next gen DS. Wii U was just a failure altogether.
With Switch they created a new hybrid form factor, but the system is largely a standard game system otherwise and not based around a gimmick the way the DS and Wii were.
Any sort of gimmick they might introduce with Switch 2 will very likely be superfluous like HD Rumble, rather than fundamental to the hardware
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